EVALUATION OF THE MICRO-FABRICATED ATOMIC MAGNETOMETER DEPLOYED FROM A SMALL AUTONOMOUS ROTORCRAFT FOR LOCATING LEGACY OIL & GAS WELLS

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Southern Beltway Project, a 13-mile highway segment connecting U.S Route 22 to I-79, is part of a larger beltway system designed to improve east-west mobility in the corridor south and west of Pittsburgh. The proposed highway corridor traverses the McDonald Oilfield and was expected to encounter legacy wells. These wells must be located and properly plugged to meet environmental regulations prior to excavation for highway construction. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the U.S. Department of Energy along with US Aerial Video, Inc. conducted aeromagnetic surveys from a small drone rotorcraft during the summer of 2017 employing the novel Geometrics micro-fabricated atomic magnetometer (MFAM) sensor package to locate these legacy wells within the planned highway right-of-way. Over 200 line-kilometers of magnetic data was collected and processed resulting in many monopolar anomalies that may be interpreted as potential steel-cased wells. A list of magnetic targets was submitted to the PA Turnpike Commission for confirmation on the ground.